Aquariums are water filled enclosures in which living fish and/or other aquatic animals and plants are kept. The water in an aquarium needs to be filtered on a regular basis. The clean, filtered water is then pumped back into the aquarium via a water inlet system. The pump operates on electricity and is subject to power outages which can occur fairly frequently. The pump is also a mechanical piece of equipment which is prone to failure at some point. Either of these events would cause the pump to stop working and this would disrupt the return water flowing back into the aquarium. Sometimes, a back siphon occurs when the pump stops working. A back siphon allows the water in the aquarium to flow backward into the reservoir tank of the filtering system. This extra water can quickly overflow the reservoir tank and create a flood. Since many aquariums are set up in a home or in the lobby area of an office, the aquariums are normally residing in a carpeted room with fine furniture located nearby. The filtering system is usually situated in a cabinet below the aquarium. Any water that overflows the reservoir tank will flow downward onto the carpeting. This water will wet the carpeting and possibly leave a water stain or worst, ruin the carpeting. Furthermore, if the overflowed water becomes deep enough, it could possibly soak and/or stained adjacent furniture.
To prevent a flood from occurring, most aquariums employ a water inlet system which includes a one-way check valve positioned in the incoming water line. However, many one-way check valves utilize a gasket or seal, a spring, and a ball that mates with a concave surface. Over time, the gasket or seal can become brittle, hard or worn and will not function properly. In addition, rust, corrosion, or oxidation can cause the spring to malfunction or cause the ball to become pitted such that it does not form a tight seal with the concave surface. Also, the presence of a foreign particle on the concave surface could prevent the one-way check valve from working properly. Therefore, there is a need for a water inlet system that does not rely on a one-way check valve to prevent a back siphon from occurring should the pump stop working.
Now, a water inlet system for an aquarium, a siphon stopper and a method of attaching the system to an aquarium have been invented which does not utilize a one-way check valve.